Crystallize: Dark Heart
by Amaris-the-Demon
Summary: More than eight months have passed since Candlehead defeated Takeshi and sheathed her sword permanently. But suddenly her curse is back and shadow creatures attack Sugar Rush. Hotaru-sama must rise again to defeat the enemy behind Takeshi. After all, an enemy isn't truly defeated until the master is killed...
1. Chapter 1: What I've Done

**And just when you thought it was safe…AMARIS-THE-DEMON REA-F*CKING-PEARS! **

**OMG it has been fooooorever since I've written anything, so I decided what would be better to make a glorious (or absolutely horrible) come-back than with a sequel to my by far most popular story: Crystalize! **

**That's right! Samurai Candlehead is back! So, hold on to your hats and buckle your seatbelts, 'cause if you thought the first story was action filled and awesome— the sequel (should) KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF! **

**Enjoy.**

Chapter One: What I've done  
_I'll face myself, to cross out what I've become..._

Candlehead POV

I woke with a start. I took in shallow breaths and walked outside to the balcony. The sugary moon of Sugar Rush was high in the sky. I took in deeper breaths and gripped the balcony rail.

For months now, the events that happened in Samurai Sword Showdown had haunted my dreams. It was the reason I had hung up my gi and sheathed my sword for good. I rolled up the sleeve of my left arm. All that remained of my death mark was pale scarring. I glanced back at Vanellope, still fast asleep in her bed.

I was glad my nightmares hadn't awoken her. She had mostly recovered from what happened, it probably helped that she didn't KNOW what had happened. And i didn't tell her, I wanted her to keep her sweet dreams. I would deal with the nightmares. We had been going out for more than eight months now. She had on occasion asked me if I wanted to fight again. I shook my head as that question twirled around in my head. Eight months ago I would've immediately said yes, but now...

But now I needed a drink

I went outside to my kart and took off to Tapper's. Vanellope wouldn't be shocked if she awoke and I wasn't beside her. I walked inside and saw Taps already awake and cleaning his bar.  
"You're late." He said chuckling. I smirked.  
"Fashionably late, gimme a double shot of Pepsi." I said and sat at the bar stool. Tapper chuckled.  
"You're getting daring." He said as he poured it. I downed it in one go. "Does Vanellope know?"  
"Know what?"  
"About your nightmares."  
I traced the edge of the shot glass.  
"A nightmare I could deal with Tapper, but these aren't nightmares. They're memories." I said and sighed "And I can't put that on Vanellope's shoulders."  
"She ought to know." Tapper stated. I tapped the bar and he poured another shot.  
"If _you _saw what _I _saw when Tak—when _he _possessed her. You'd know why I won't tell her." I said and downed the shot. "Tapper, she was so…_evil. _Not human."  
"I know. But that don't give you the right to keep it a secret from 'er." The bartender insisted. I shook my head. "Look, Hotar—"  
"_Candlehead._" I corrected sharply. He put his hands up in mock surrender.  
"Candlehead, would Isao wantcha to keep information? To hang up your gi?" He asked. I sighed.  
"No. He wouldn't, but he's not here…I have to make my own decisions. My loyalty isn't to the sword any longer, it's to Vanellope." I sighed "Tapper, I _love _her. It's safer for me to remain what I'm programmed to do instead of fighting."  
"Once a warrior, always warrior." He stated simply. "And have you told her just how much you like her?"  
"Well…no…" I said. "We _just _started staying at each other's places. Do ya think I should?"  
"If you _really _love her. You should." He said and I smiled.  
"Thanks, Tapps. Now, I've gotta a buzz and you've gotta get your bar ready. Catchya later." I said and walked out.

OooOOOooO

Vanellope was still out cold when I got back. I smiled softly to myself and stroked her cheek.  
"Vanellope, time to get up _omae_." I whispered. She groaned and rolled over.  
"Five more minutes." She mumbled.  
"Vanellope, c'mon. You've got races to win." I said and crossed my arms. Her response to that was curling deeper into her blankets. "Okay, if that's how you're gonna be, then…" I jumped onto the bed and she went flying and landed with her butt up in the air on the bedroom floor. She glared at me.  
"You asked for it, _princess._" I said teasingly.  
"You may be a samurai." She said grinning. She glitched and pinned me to the bed "But _I'm _a glitch."  
I pouted.  
"It took me fifteen years to get my agility and all you have to is focus on your code." I said. She grinned.  
"It's one of the perks of being me."  
I rolled my eyes.  
"You mind letting me up, _omae_?" I asked. She grinned mischievously.  
"I said five more minutes, didn't I, Firefly?" She whispered huskily in my ear. I smiled.

OooOOOooO

I had been picked as my gamer's racer. The guy was skilled, he knew exactly how to maneuver the Ice Screamer so that I got ahead of the other racers. I grinned, I was gonna win by a landslide.  
"_SWEET SEEKERS!_" The announcer voice yelled as I zoomed into the sugarcube. I aimed it to hit Gloyd, Critsuella and Taffyta.  
"As easy as— GAH!" I screamed as pain shot up my arm and I jerked my car to the left and rammed straight into the guardrail. My car skidded across the track until flipping over itself and exploding. I felt myself shatter into pixels and regenerate at the finish/start line.

I was still gripping my arm in pain.  
"Candlehead! What happened?!" Taffyta yelled at me as her and most of the other racers ran over.  
"I don't know. This only happened when I…" my sentence trailed off. Vanellope sprinted to me and hugged me tightly. I hugged her back when I realized her breath was shallow.  
"Don't do that!" She yelped. I stroked her raven colored hair.  
"Sorry, _omae. _It's kind of inevitable." I joked weakly. She laughed some and pulled out of the hug.  
"What happened?"  
"I don't know, my arm just started hurting. I guess the kid who drove me yesterday wore it out." I lied smoothly. The other racers frowned. "Don't worry. I'm good now."  
"Okay. Just be careful." She said concerned. I kissed her forehead.  
"I promise." I said to her.  
"QUARTER ALERT! QUARTER ALERT!" The announcer voice yelled. I got back into the Ice Screamer. Taffyta pulled up beside me.  
"Candlehead, what _really _happened?" She asked. I frowned at her.  
"I pray it's not what I think." I whispered and rubbed my arm. Taffy's eyes gleamed with concern. She mouthed the words "The curse?" I gritted my teeth.  
"I won't tell." She whispered. I nodded.  
"Thanks."

OooOOOooO

I went home after the races, ran to my bathroom and ripped off my jacket. My worse fear was confirmed as I stared in the mirror. My curse was back. Ugly, swirling, black marks were up my left arm. I stared at it in horror. I remembered what the _Kenmei Na Jixyose _had said about my curse.

_"That is a powerful curse" She said and I felt my breath hitch.  
"W-what is it? What will it do" I asked her. If possible her expression darkened even more.  
"It is going to kill you" She said and my heart dropped to my stomach "If you go back to your own game, you might regenerate_"

I _might _regenerate. I gripped my sink and breathed heavily. I had thought the Shishigami had cured me, obviously, he hadn't.  
"Why is it back?" I asked myself and stared at it.

Japanese

_Omae _– my love


	2. Chapter 2: The Phoenix

**Thanks to annabre24, ShootingStarBlitz, Man (Guest), The Bubbster and The Phoenix Tamer for reviewing/following/favoriting!**

**Look at that! Some of my followers have returned! *squee* But where are the rest of ya hiding? I'm kiddin'! **

**So, not too much action in that last chapter…let's change that. :)**

Chapter 2: The Phoenix  
_So we can take the world back from the heart-attacked,  
one maniac at a time we will take it back._

Candlehead POV

I walked around the woods carefully. I knew where I was. This was the _Seishin Shinrin, _the Forest of the Gods.  
"Hello? Is anyone there?" I asked. Suddenly pain ripped through my arm. My knees buckled as I clutched the arm and screamed through my teeth. Maniacal laughter rang in the air. It sounded like the evil I had defeated before.  
"Takeshi?! Show yourself!" I yelled and attempted in vain to get to my feet. Suddenly the woods shifted into shadow and I was before a cave. The laughter was coming from the cave.  
"_Oh, poor, poor Hotaru-sama._" A voice rang. I could see a pair of icy eyes in the cave "_Poor, poor Hotaru."  
_"Show yourself!" I screamed. The shadows morphed again and the creature that emerged from the cave was none other than Vanellope.  
"Vanellope?" I whispered. Then I saw her eyes. Pure black orbs with the exception of her ice blue irises.  
"Poor, poor Hotaru." She threw her head back and laughed viciously. Then she lunged forward and darkness enveloped me.

"No!" I just about screamed. I jumped out of bed and ran to the balcony, taking in several deep breaths. Shudders racked my body and I rested my head on the railing. I nearly attacked Vanellope when she came up behind me and wrapped her arms around my middle. Once I realized it was just her, I relaxed some.  
"Candlehead, what's wrong?" She asked and rested her head on my back. "And please don't say 'nothing'."  
I sighed and looked out. Tapper was right; I needed to talk to her.  
"Samurai Sword Showdown." I whispered.  
"The battle?"  
"Yeah…I've been having nightmares about it."  
"Is that all?" She asked. I turned around.  
"What do you mean?"  
She shuffled her feet.  
"There's something else, isn't there? You barely sleep, and when you do, you constantly call out my name—even though I'm lying right next to you, and… I've seen you cry in your sleep." She said, "You don't think your nightmares bother me, and they don't. But I notice them."  
"You're more perceptive than I remember." I mumbled to myself and leaned against the rail.  
"I can't help you if you don't let me..." She walked forward and rested her forehead against mine. "Candlehead, what…what happened to me? All I remember is that creep kissing me, then waking up in your arms. And you told me you would explain everything. But it's been nine months."  
I clenched my teeth.  
"Are you prepared to handle the truth?" I asked her and gripped her shoulders "Are you?"  
"I think the question is, are _you _willing to tell me." She retorted. I turned back around.  
"No. I'm not." I said simply. "I can't…"  
"Is it why you don't fight anymore?" She continued to pry.  
"I don't fight anymore so that I can be with you." I said, "So that I don't endanger anyone. My days of being…"I gulped and struggled to say the name "Hotaru-sama, are over."  
She didn't say anything after that. We just stood there, neither of us really knowing what to say. Finally Vanellope just took my hand and stood with me.  
"Hotaru-sama isn't a persona you made," She said suddenly and looked me square in the eye "It's who you really are."  
"I'm a racer…" I mumbled. Vanellope shook her head.  
"Your enthusiasm was always held back, but I saw it when you fought. The wild glee in your eyes. You may have been programmed to be a racer, but your heart is a warrior." She said then walked back inside "Join me when you're ready."  
I nodded but we both knew I would probably fall asleep on the balcony.

OooOOOooO

I had decidedly not raced that day. I didn't trust my arm to not act up and I could tell Vanellope didn't want me to race, even if I did regenerate. It's never fun to watch a racer die. And with my curse being back, there was that nasty little whisper in my head saying that I might _not _regenerate.

I kicked a rock candy across the main street. Various candy citizens waved at me and I waved back smiling. I knew where I needed to go to get my arm fixed. But every time I thought of it, images of death and suffering flashed in my mind so violently I nearly fell over.

I sat at a table and ordered a soft drink. Regardless of how I felt, I still had a lot to make me feel happy. Vanellope, for example. I head desked. Nine months we'd been going out and I still hadn't said the three words that I needed to say. I laughed at my own ridiculousness. I spent more than fifteen years admiring Vanellope's strength as a glitch, then months admiring her as a leader and racer. And now that I had her, I was choking up. I couldn't say, "I love you."

I missed the early days of _Sugar Rush_ when I _felt_ like a nine year old. I think in one way or another everyone in _Sugar Rush _had grown up. But we were all stuck in the bodies of children. One of the candy citizens gave me my drink and I smiled at her.

"Thanks." I said and took a long sip.  
"You okay sweetie? You look down." She asked. I smirked.  
"I think that I've been asked that a gajillion times." I said chuckling. "I'm fine."  
The citizen shrugged and walked off. That was the good thing about them; they were relatively simple. They didn't ask many questions. _Unlike Vanellope… _I thought bitterly and mentally slapped myself. Vanellope was naturally curious, and she was worried for me. I laid my head on the table. _I'm the one being unfair._ I thought. _I should tell her! _I smiled determined and ran towards the racecourse, the arcade was closing so by now everyone should have stopped racing.

I made it there in time to see Vanellope do her happy-happy-joy-joy dance as she won the last race of the day. I smiled at her and she grinned.  
"Vanellope!" I called out and ran up to her. "So, I was thinking and you're right. I said I would explain everything, and I haven't. So I will."  
"Really?" She asked. I nodded, she smiled widely and hugged me.  
"So, when we were—" before I could even finish the sentence, a shrill scream broke through the air. Both Vanellope and I turned in the direction of the scream and I saw it, a huge wolf like thing, but it was clearly made of shadow. My eyes widened.  
"Um…Candlehead? Now might be a good time for you to get your sword." Vanellope whispered as four other shadow wolves appeared. Too late. The wolf snarled at me and charged.

I leapt in the air and kicked it in the snout. The wolf roared more in anger than in pain and snapped at me. I dodged then ran towards my house. It followed me as I ran. I nearly broke open door and ripped open a wardrobe that held my samurai armor, sword and clothing. I took in several deep breaths and calmed my nerves as I grabbed the hilt of my sword.  
"This is for Vanellope, this doesn't mean you're a warrior again." I murmured. Then that wolf that followed me smashed through the front of my house and attacked me.

It was no match for my sword.

I ran back outside with my sword strapped to my side. It was total mayhem in the streets as candy citizens and racers ran away from the creatures. I let out a sharp whistle and got into a fighting stance. The wolf creatures turned to me and once they saw my sword they laughed.  
"_We were sent to destroy a mighty warrior, surely it is not you?" _The one at the head asked. It's voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard and the wind blowing through a barren wasteland.  
"Last time I counted, there were five of you." I said and grinned. The wolves realized what I was implying and roared with fury.  
_"YOU DARE KILL ONE OF US?!" _They roared. I smiled. Blood roared in my ears and adrenaline pumped in my veins. It was a feeling I missed. They charged and slashed straight through one's head. It let out a scream of pain as it melted and sunk into the ground in a puddle of black, bubbling goo. One of the others clamped down on my arm and I gritted my teeth. The thing whimpered slightly, under my racing jacket I had put on my arm armor. It still had immobilized me though and the other one started to attack me. I slashed my sword at it but dodged. I stabbed the one that was biting my arm and it let me go. I backed up and watched them carefully.  
"Wait, there were fou—" the missing wolf came from behind me and pinned me to the floor, with my neck held firmly in it's mouth.  
_"Well, well, well._" One started _"Looks like this is our lucky day, and we both know you probably won't regenerate._"  
The wolves laughed. The one that had my neck in its mouth was going to rip off my head, I could feel it. But that never happened.  
"Leave her _ALONE_!" The creatures looked up and I saw Vanellope standing there. They laughed at her but then their laughter turned into screams of pain. Each wolf exploded into black pixels then evaporated. I stared at Vanellope stunned as I realized that her hand was swirling with black smoke. She had killed them.

She swayed on her feet and I ran forward and caught her. She lay in my arms with her face partially turned from me as she caught her breath. She was like a rag doll in my hands.  
"How did you do that?!" I exclaimed.  
"I- I don't know. I just felt it, like I was going to glitch. But I didn't." She mumbled then looked at me. My eyes widened in horror. Her left eye was still a warm hazel, but her left eye had become a possessed black orb with that icy iris I had learned to fear.  
"Firefly, what's wrong?" She asked. I couldn't form words with my mouth. _Koorikumo _I thought. But it wasn't, Koorikumo would've killed me by now. It was still Vanellope.  
"How?" I whispered and brushed some her hair away from the eye.  
"Candlehead, what's happened?" Panic was starting to rise in Vanellope's voice.  
"Rancis?" I asked shakily. The boy came forward nervously. "Can I borrow your mirror?"  
He gave it to me and I handed it to Vanellope. The girl looked at me uncertainly then looked in the mirror. She gasped and touched the skin just under her eye.  
"Wh-wh-what?!" She yelped and leapt up, suddenly full of energy. "Candlehead! What?! What—why, how?!"  
"Calm down." I told her sternly.  
"Calm down? Calm down? _Calm down?!_" She paraded around with her hands in the air "M-m-my _eye _lo-o-o-oks _possessed, _I just de-de-de-destroyed wo-o-olf cre-cre-creaturesand y-y-you're te-telling to me to-o-o _calm down?!_"  
She was glitching uncontrollably as she always did when she got too excited or panicked. Seeing no choice, I grabbed her glitching shoulders. My own code began glitching but I ignored it.  
"Ye-e-e-es, I am te-e-e-elling you to c-c-calm down." I said pixilated due to how I was glitching. "Wh-wh-whatever is h-ha-happening Vanello-o-ope isn't g-g-going to get solved b-b-by you fr-fr-fr-freaking out." I said and looked into her mismatched eyes. She gulped but nodded and stopped glitching. I took in a breath of relief as my code returned to normal.  
"Okay." She said. I smiled softly at her and stroked her cheek.  
"Don't worry. We'll figure this out."

A hoverboard zoomed into Main Street and off got Sergeant Calhoun and Fix-it Felix. Just behind them was Ralph.  
"Vanellope!" Ralph yelled. Vanellope smiled at him but became self-conscious of her eye and turned away from him.  
"Hey, Stinkbrain." She mumbled.  
"The Surge Protector sent us," Felix said worriedly. "He said he saw some creatures come in here."  
Calhoun cocked her gun.  
"Um…Vanellope took care of them." I said with an involuntary smile. Calhoun looked stunned.  
"What?" She asked. Ralph was staring at Vanellope with absolute concern.  
"Hey, President Fart-feathers, what's wrong?"  
She glanced at me. I knew she didn't want to turn around. I held her hand and blinked slowly. I mouthed the words "It's okay." She sighed then turned around. Ralph's mouth dropped open.  
"What on earth?" Calhoun said and cocked her head. Vanellope shuffled her feet and backed up a step. Felix held his hammer uncertainly.  
"What is that?" Felix asked. I took a protective stance in front of her.  
"I fear it's a side effect of _Shinigami majikku._" I said.  
"Come again?" Felix asked. I rolled my eyes but it was Vanellope who answered.  
"Bad magic. Dark magic." She said. I glanced over my shoulder and realized she was looked at her hand.  
"_Omae?" _I asked and turned around. That when I saw what she was doing, she was making a little purple and black shadow dance around her fingertips. I gasped. She held up her hand.  
"That what this is, isn't it? Dark magic?" She clasped her hands together and the shadow disappeared. I blinked.  
"How…?" I started then my eyes widened as a realization hit me. It hit me so hard, I fell onto my bottom. "Takeshi."  
"What about him?" She asked. I ran a hand through my hair.  
"You were possessed Vanellope. That's why you don't remember the two weeks after Takeshi…you know. You were possessed by _Shinigami majikku._" I said. "Apparently, even though you were cured, it left you with the ability."  
"What ability?" She asked. Our eyes met and I knew we both knew the answer.  
"Vanellope, you have the ability to do _shadou majikku._" I said. "Takeshi altered your code. You're part _burakku majishan._ _Anata no ishi ni kagewo mageru koto ga deki masu.__"_  
The girl took a few dazed steps then collapsed. I frowned.  
"Well. Chip." I cursed.

Japanese

_Koorikumo (Vanellope's name when she was evil)- _Ice-spider

_Shinigami majikku _– (Lit. trans.) Evil spirit magic. (My translation) Dark magic or necromancy of a sort.

_Omae- _My love

_Shadou majikku- _Shadow magic

_Burakku majishan- _Dark magician

_Anata no ishi ni kagewo mageru koto ga deki masu- _You can bend the shadows to your will.


	3. Chapter 3: Troublemaker

**Thanks to annabre24, ShootingStarBlitz, Man (Guest), The Bubbster and The Phoenix Tamer for reviewing/following/favoriting!**

**CANDLEHEAD PUT DOWN THE CHAIR! DON'T— *dodges flying chair and hides under desk* Okay, so while Candlehead has a tantrum about Vanellope being a dark magician, I'm gonna post the next chapter. *pokes head out and dodges a shoe* CALM DOWN! YOU KNEW THIS WAS COMING!**

**Candlehead: THAT DOESN'T MEAN I HAVE TO LIKE IT!**

***sighs* What evs Candy. ANYWAYS, if you want to see a picture of Dark Magician Vanellope, you can go to my deviantART. The link to my dA account is on my profile page. **

Chapter 3: Troublemaker  
_You're a troublemaker.  
But damn girl it's like I love the trouble;  
And I can't even explain why…_

Candlehead POV

I tucked Vanellope into bed and leaned against the door. I shouldn't have been shocked she passed out. The first time I did a fireball, I passed out. And she had done _more _than a fireball. She was lucky she didn't go into a coma.

I walked back out into the throne room where Ralph, Calhoun and Felix were waiting.  
"She's out cold." I announced. Ralph grabbed me by the collar of my jacket. "Hey!"  
"I know you're Vanellope's girlfriend, but _who _are you really?" He demanded. I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms as I hung there.  
"Can ya put me down?" I asked. He groaned but did so. "Okay, so I'll admit. I may have been stretching it _just _a _little _when I said that I was just a racer from _Sugar Rush._"  
"So what are you?" Ralph asked. I fingered the hilt of my sword nervously.  
"A samurai." I said and blushed a little.  
"_You_?!" Calhoun exclaimed and stifled a laugh. I glared at her and felt my arm ache slightly.  
"Yes, me." I said "Sometimes I wonder if the reason Vanellope even _likes _me is because of it."  
"What do you mean?" Felix asked.  
"Nine months ago, Vanellope found out about my secret identity: Hotaru-sama." I started "What happened after... well, that's a subject I don't like discussing."  
"Wait…Hotaru…" Calhoun murmured. Ralph disregarded her.  
"Well, you better start explaining!" Ralph snapped, "Because if you're dangerous, I'll—"  
"Make us break up?" I asked venomously "You're not her father, and believe me when I say there's no force in the arcade that will keep me away from her." I gripped my arm as the aching became worse "And besides, I've given up sword fighting; so I can be with her. And protect her."  
Ralph went into a stunned silence.  
"Ralph, I endangered her life _once _and I will _never _do it again." I said "You of all people should understand that."  
"Candlehead, what's going on?" Felix asked gently.  
"I fear that something is going on in Samurai Sword Showdown. Those creatures were looking for _me. _I never thought they'd be stopped by Vanellope, I never expected Vanellope to do something sooo..._amazing_."  
"Amazing?! Newsflash! She looks possessed!" Ralph yelled. I glared at him and gritted my teeth.  
"She isn't," I winced "Possessed. It's trait of _burakku majishans _to have an eye that shows their trait. Or a mark of some sort."  
"She is not a broccoli magician." Ralph grunted.  
"_Burakku. _And I'm afraid she is," I gritted my teeth and sweat beaded my forehead "Takeshi altered her code."  
"Who's Takeshi?"  
"It doesn't matter. He's dead now." I said and walked over to one of the windows.  
"Dead?!" Felix exclaimed. I gave him a cold glare over my shoulder.  
"Dead," I confirmed "I killed him."  
Silence followed that statement for several long seconds.  
"So, what do you think is happening?" Calhoun asked.  
"I don't know." I admitted, "But I'll figure it out."  
"What's going to happen to Vanellope?" Ralph had true concern in his voice. I sighed and leaned heavily on the windowsill; the pain in my arm was becoming nearly unbearable.  
"I'll train her in the ways of majikku, so she doesn't become truly possessed." I said strained.  
"You keep your voodoo away from her!" Ralph snapped. I turned around and my left arm grabbed my sword hilt without my consent. I grabbed it and forced my fingers to uncurl around the handle. I gripped the arm tightly.  
"Do you want to see Vanellope become possessed?!" I yelled at him and gripped my arm tight enough that my jacket fabric tightened and threatened to rip "Do you want to see her become evil?! Well? DO YOU?!"  
Ralph's eyes were wide with what I recognized as fear. I realized my candle flame had more than tripled in size. I'm forced myself to take a deep breath and calm down. Once I did my arm stopped hurting and I fell back and caught myself by grabbing the windowsill.  
"_Sore ga akka shi te kudasai_." I murmured and noticed the mark had started to creep out of my sleeve and spread to my hand. I pulled the sleeve up some to cover it. The three adults were staring at me.  
"I get the feeling Vanellope's not the only one with a problem." Ralph said and glowered. I didn't have the energy to say something back or glare.  
"Look, if Vanellope doesn't learn to control her newfound power like she learned to control her glitch, she could get this game unplugged. Not to mention she could go insane." I breathed out heavily, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a town to clean up." I walked pass them.  
"What about your arm?" Felix asked. I paused at the door.  
"What about it?" I stated and walked outside.

OooOOOooO

I plastered another piece of my wall back together, the whole time swearing in Japanese about the shadow creatures.  
"I don't see why you're even bother to patch it up. You practically live with Vanellope now."  
"Nice to see you too," I grunted as I put a particularly heavy piece into place "Taffyta."  
The girl came over and helped me with the next piece.  
"How's Vanellope?" She asked.  
"She's good."  
"What about her…?" She gestured to her eye. I sighed.  
"That may or may not go away. It probably won't. If you remember Tak— _him, _his eyes were like that."  
"She's not going to end up like him, is she?"  
I paused then shook my head.  
"No. I'll train her. Fire _majikku _and _shadou majikku _are very similar. But _shadou _is still harder to master."  
"Why?" She helped me put the last piece into place and I flopped onto a gumdrop.  
"Fire is an element, just like water, earth and air. They're elements. Each element is different but easier to control because there is no threat of it _taking over _you. Darkness and light are _forces. _Things that control our lives. That's why _he _was so evil, he allowed the _kurai _to take him over. Vanellope won't end up like that." I stood up with a determined scowl on my face "I won't let her end up like that."  
Taffyta shook her head.  
"You are one determined samurai. It was nice seeing you as Hotaru again, it calmed everyone down." She commented.  
"Huh?"  
"You gave off this hero vibe, and everyone calmed down." She restated.  
"I'm not a hero, and Hotaru isn't back. I was fighting for Vanellope." I argued. Taffy rolled her eyes.  
"Uh-huh, _sure._" She quipped. I shrugged and hopped into my kart.  
"Speaking of, I'm gonna go see if she's awake."  
"Behave you two." Taffyta said and smirked. I grinned at her.  
"No promises."

Watching Taffyta's lollipop fall out of her mouth in utter shock was totally worth the innuendo.

OooOOOooO

I walked inside and saw Vanellope was lying peacefully on her side. I started to leave, thinking she was still asleep.  
"Is the eye ever going to go away?" She asked suddenly. I stopped and glanced back at her.  
"Probably not." I admitted. She shuddered and wrapped herself tighter in her blankets. I frowned and walked over. I took off my hat, laid next to her and stroked her raven hair.  
"Firefly, will I become evil?" She asked "Like Turbo, or Takeshi?"  
I stared at her in shock.  
"What? No! No, of course not." I chuckled nervously then became serious "Why would you say that?"  
She rolled over to face me, I forced myself not to shudder at the sight of her eye.  
"Takeshi's eye was like this. You said I could bend the shadows to my will…" She bit her lip, "Doesn't that make me bad?"  
"No." I whispered. I stroked her cheek. "Monsters hide in the dark, don't they?"  
"Yeah…so?" She said.  
"But what also is in the night?"  
"Darkness."  
I rolled my eyes  
"Yes, but there are also stars, and the moon. Beautiful flowers that only bloom at night, a cool breeze_._" I said. "We associate so many bad things with the dark that we forget how beautiful it can be."  
She smiled at me.  
"Thanks, Firefly. You know how to make me feel good." She rested her forehead against mine. I kissed her nose.  
"That's what I'm here for. And besides, I'm going to train you so you _won't _become evil." I said and propped myself up on an elbow. "Sound good?"  
"Sounds great." She said and rose to where I was. I saw a glint in her eye I recognized. I leaned forward and kissed her lips softly.  
"Good." I murmured. She pushed me onto my back.  
"Can we start training tomorrow?" She asked innocently "I'm kinda distracted right now."  
Her eyes wandered over me as she said that. I smiled smugly.  
"Sure, princess." I quipped. She straddled me and crossed her arms.  
"It's _president. _And good." She declared. I pulled her down.  
"Oh?" I asked. She rolled her eyes.  
"Oh, shut up and kiss me." She demanded. I grinned and did just that.

Japanese

_Shadou majikku_- Shadow magic

_Burakku majishan_- Dark magician

_Majikku - _magic

_Sore ga akka shi te kudasai_- It's getting worse.

**I'm trying to keep things relatively low key when it come to the smooching. THANK ME FOR IT! I CAN WRITE SOME **_**MESSED UP **_**THINGS IF I WANTED TO! *Candlehead glares* Or not…**

**(if you want obscenities though, just ask for it.) **

**Candlehead: What was that? **

***slams laptop shut* **


End file.
